Wasawat lashes out at the government, accusing it of dropping its patriotic mask! Through the allocation for lower-ranking soldiers, he points out shortages in personnel budgets, compensation, and allowances, while funds for generals have increased.
On 7 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Wasawat Pongsapornsi, party-list MP of the Thai Ruam Palang Party and minority committee member, debated the FY 2027 budget draft, raising concerns about security budget allocations, especially personnel budgets and those related to soldiers serving at the border.
Wasawat said that during subcommittee and committee reviews, some budget items that should have been supported were cut, while others were increased—particularly the personnel budget, which was raised by about 425 million baht per Cabinet resolution, though agencies indicated the real need was about 1.3 billion baht, leaving a shortfall of nearly 900 million baht.
"We know there is a shortfall, but the allocated amount is insufficient. The question is, what guarantees that the lower-ranking soldiers standing at the border will receive adequate care?"
Wasawat also urged the government to expedite payment of allowances, special payments, duty-related funds, and compensation to soldiers, affirming that many soldiers still have not received such compensation to date.
He noted cuts in budgets for equipment and technology essential for border duties, including radios, drones, and helicopter maintenance, emphasizing these are not luxuries but directly related to troop safety. He cited areas like Hill 754, Phu Khok Yai, a key high point on the border, which still faces communication system limitations.
"If soldiers at the front line want to contact their families but roads are cut off and travel takes one to two days, how can parents know their children are safe? This is the kind of issue the budget must address."
Wasawat referenced the death of volunteer ranger Chokmongkol from Sam Meng village, Kantharalak district, who died of heart failure. He expressed condolences to the family and stressed that the lives of troops on the border must be seriously cared for, questioning, "Is this really how the security budget priorities are set?"
Responding to accusations that he debated to "make content," Wasawat countered that he did not stand in parliament to create content but to reflect real problems from the field and the voices of frontline soldiers. "If raising frontline issues in parliament is called making content, then what do we call a budget that fails to meet frontline needs?"
Wasawat emphasized that lower-ranking soldiers do not want flowery words but need their allowances, welfare, and compensation to be delivered fully, usable equipment, and a government that does not abandon them. He questioned whether the current budget process is causing the public to ask, "Is the mask of patriotism still being worn, or has it been removed? True security is not words in parliament but the lives of troops who must receive real, immediate care."